A hard fought out win against a serious contender that holds our position on top for another round.
Player Ratings:
Donnarumma – 8: Gigio made a couple of crucial saves today. Without him between the sticks the score line would have been much closer.
Calabria – 6: Kept Insigne quite for much of the first half but struggled to contain him in the second.
Kjaer – 7: As normal, a consistent showing from Simon. Feels like we could copy and paste his ratings each week! Standing up and taking control of the defence in a time where Romagnoli doesn’t seem to be his normal self.
Romagnoli – 6: Another performance from Alessio that below what we’ve come to expect in recent years. Caught looking slow and clumsy on a few occasions.
Hernandez – 8: Theo’s offensive sting was back! What a difference he makes to the team when he is darting through opposing teams’ defensive lines. Despite leaving his side open on a few occasions, he was generally strong defensively.
Kessie – 7: Used his strength in key moments of the game. Was able to get on the ball and transfer it wide into space.
Bennacer – 7.5: A classy performance from Ismael. His determination and aggression kept Napoli out of the midfield, forcing them onto the wings. Provided the assist for Hauge’s goal.
Calhanoglu – 6: Showed some improvements but not enough to get excited about.
Rebic – 8: Ante worked really hard to leave his mark on the game and proved to be an important player as the game went on. Looks like the Rebic-Ibrahimovic telepathy is coming back!
Ibrahimovic – 8.5 (MOTM): As always, Zlatan found a way to get on the score sheet. Came off injured in the second half. Let’s hope it’s nothing serious.
Saelemaekers – 5.5: Struggled to find his feet in the game. Little impact.
Substitutes:
Hauge – 7.5: Late substitution. Scored a very nice goal with one of his few touches.
Castillejo – 5.5: Didn’t offer much coming on. Consistently gave the ball back to Napoli at a time when the game was hanging in the balance.
Colombo – 6: Came on late. Still very raw but is showing potential.
Krunic – N/A: Late substitution
Image: AC Milan